County won’t support state land purchase

What started as a simple piece of business during a work session evolved into a full-scale discussion that was culminated by a symbolic vote against government land purchase.

At the May 22 meeting of the Custer County Commission, the commissioners were asked to consider writing a letter to the state giving its support for the state’s purchase of 40 acres of land on Pleasant Valley Road. Instead, members of the commission railed against more government ownership of land in the county, and, ultimately, took a near-unanimous vote against supporting the purchase.

Commissioner Jim Lintz was the most outspoken against the purchase, saying Gov. Dennis Daugaard based part of his platform on running for office on the idea that the state would not be buying more private land, and would in fact be selling some of its land back to private entities. Lintz, a former state senator, was incredulous that the state was buying more land, and said the state has already spent millions of dollars on land that oftentimes ends up inaccessible to the public.

“It’s a farce. They say buying this land is for the good of the people, and it’s not,” he said.

What started as a simple piece of business during a work session evolved into a full-scale discussion that was culminated by a symbolic vote against government land purchase.

At the May 22 meeting of the Custer County Commission, the commissioners were asked to consider writing a letter to the state giving its support for the state’s purchase of 40 acres of land on Pleasant Valley Road. Instead, members of the commission railed against more government ownership of land in the county, and, ultimately, took a near-unanimous vote against supporting the purchase.

Commissioner Jim Lintz was the most outspoken against the purchase, saying Gov. Dennis Daugaard based part of his platform on running for office on the idea that the state would not be buying more private land, and would in fact be selling some of its land back to private entities. Lintz, a former state senator, was incredulous that the state was buying more land, and said the state has already spent millions of dollars on land that oftentimes ends up inaccessible to the public.

“It’s a farce. They say buying this land is for the good of the people, and it’s not,” he said.

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